Bend It Like Beckham

Bend It Like Beckham is a British film released in 2002 and re-released in America in March, 2003, directed by Gurinder Chadha based on the screenplay she wrote with Paul Berges, and Guljit Bindra. Since its release, the film has achieved a mild cult-like status. It tells the tale of a young British Sikh girl who struggles against her family's orthodox mindset to fullfill her dream of playing professional football. The film's title is a reference to the English footballer David Beckham and his skill at scoring from free-kicks by bending the ball — making it swerve as it flies through the air, most notably the injury-time goal that gained England automatic qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

The movie was filmed throughout London, UK including Soho (football store and pub), Hounslow (where the main characters live), Piccadilly Circus, and Southall, as well as in Hamburg, Germany.

Plot

The film is a coming-of-age tale about 18-year-old Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra (played by 26-year-old Parminder Nagra), a Sikh girl living in the suburbs of London not far from Heathrow Airport. Her first-generation Punjabi immigrant parents push her hard to study to get into university and become a solicitor, and wish to arrange a marriage for her in due course. Jess instead dreams of soccer, inspired by one of England's most famous players, David Beckham. She displays unusual talent for the game in park matches with the local boys, running them ragged with her evasive skills.

While playing in the park Jess is spotted by Juliette "Jules" Paxton (Keira Knightley), the star player at the Hounslow Harriers (a local amateur women's football club). She happily accepts Jules's invitation to join the club, even though she knows her parents would disapprove. Jess becomes a key member of the side and Jules's best friend. She also develops a special bond with the team's coach (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), a young man whose dreams of football stardom were shattered when he injured his knee. Meanwhile, there are rumours that a scout from Santa Clara University in the US is looking for players for the school's women's team. The resulting situation sets up a number of culture clashes ranging from the comical to the serious, as Jess, her friends (both from the Indian community and the football club), and family, try to negotiate their way between the expectations of two cultures and their own dreams and desires.

The movie also shows that immigrant families are not unique in their adherence to tradition. Jules's mother (Juliet Stevenson), who has very conventional views of femininity, pressures her daughter to wear frilly lingerie rather than sports bras and fears that her tomboy daughter is in a lesbian relationship with Jess. Instead of the standard plot device of the unyielding father and the understanding mother, the roles are reversed with the father having the wisdom to let his daughter fulfil her dreams and the mother clinging to her ideas and traditions. In Jess's case, her father (Anupam Kher) decides to let her play in the football tournament even when it means leaving her sister's wedding early. In Jules's case, her father encourages her to play football instead of chasing boys and doing normal "girl things."

During the wedding party, Jess's father allows her to go to the final football match, where her joy of playing is contrasted with her sister's joy of getting married. Lines of footballers celebrate a goal by jumping up and down echo lines of ladies dancing to celebrate the wedding.

David Beckham and Victoria Beckham were keen to make cameo appearances in the film but were unable due to work commitments. Chadha used two look-alikes instead.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack features lively music in the bhangra style, soul music including Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield, songs by Victoria Beckham, Mel C, Texas and the aria Nessun Dorma, from Puccini's Turandot.

Response

The film was popular with audiences around the world, including the United States, where David Beckham was little known at the initial time of its release.

Some critics compared it to Billy Elliot ("with football instead of ballet") or felt it mined the same vein of humour as My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Critic Steve Sailer, in a mildly favourable review , dubbed the movie My Big Fat Sikh Heading.

The 9th Pyongyang Film Festival, held in the repressive state of North Korea in 2004, screened a dubbed and censored version of Bend It Like Beckham and the U.S.-produced South African drama Cry, The Beloved Country. Bend it like Beckham reportedly delighted the limited audience of less than 100 that was allowed to see it. The film also won the music prize at that festival.

External links

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Bend It Like Beckham

Plot

Soundtrack

Response

External links